Men's Basketball

Mercer Preps for Lipscomb Rematch in A-Sun Tournament

Mar 02, 2011

MACON, Ga.
– Mercer University's men's basketball team will take on
Lipscomb University in its first round game of the Atlantic Sun
Conference championships on Thursday (March 3) at the University
Center (MU is the host school for the event). Tip-off is scheduled
for 9 p.m. (ET).

This will
be the "rubber game" between the teams for the 2010-11 season, with
each winning on its home floor during the regular season. The
stakes, however, are much larger for Thursday's bout as the winner
advances to Friday's semi-final game against top-seeded Belmont
University and a chance to play for an NCAA playoff berth on
Saturday.

Brian Mills
leads the MU team, having just earned both a first team All-A-Sun
award and the league's "Player of the Week" award for the period of
February 22-26. Mills is averaging 15.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per
game.

Mercer's
offense is in the capable hands of freshman point guard Langston
Hall…who has played like anything but a first-year
player during his inaugural collegiate campaign. Hall was tabbed on
the A-Sun's All-Freshman Team, having started all 31 games as the
Bears' "quarterback." MU averages 8.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.45
assists per game. Hall also has netted a team-high 53 three-point
baskets.

Senior Mark Hall
– no relation to Langston – is having his best season
in the Orange & Black. The elder Hall is currently at 7.1
p.p.g. and has canned 46 treys this season from beyond the
arc.

Lipscomb
features the 1-2 punch of first team All-A-Sun members Adnan Hodzic
and Josh Slater. Both seniors, Hodzic and Slater average 18.0 and
16.5 p.p.g., respectively. The tandem also tops the club in
rebounds, with Hodzic at 7.5 caroms and Slater 6.1.

GAME NOTES:

*This will
be the 18th meeting between Lipscomb and Mercer. The
Bisons hold a 12-5 advantage in the series.

*Mercer will be making its
27th-straight A-Sun Tournament appearance...every tourney in league
history.